


Friday Nights

by Anonymous



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, In this house we love and support our traumatized dumbasses, Movie Nights, Multi, Polyamory Reader Insert, gender neutral reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-12 23:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21234593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Malcolm Bright had an uncanny knack for crashing your date nights. The solution? Include him from the start. He's barely a third wheel, at this point.





	Friday Nights

Malcolm Bright had started crashing your dates with your girlfriend.

The first time, he’d just so happened to walk into the same diner as you. Before either of you could say anything, he’d slid into the booth next to Dani and started chatting away. He’d ordered when you both did and stayed til the end of dinner. Then, it turned out he’d walked, and you were so nice it made Dani bitter, you insisted on driving him home. By the time you two made it back into your apartment, she was quite frustrated, but she took it out on you in the best way.

Then, it was a series of other coincidences. And then, one day you swung by the precinct to confirm dinner plans with your girl, and Malcolm met you both at the restaurant. 

That was an awkward one. 

The last time, though, wasn’t actually...bad. Dani must’ve talked to him about it or something (not that you really minded) because he’d invited you over for dinner to “make up for his behavior.” Which is why you and Dani were standing at the bottom of a tall apartment building, awkwardly ringing the doorbell for the second time. 

“Jesus christ, Bright,” Dani grumbled. You put a steadying hand on her arm as she jabbed the button a third time, definitely harder than it needed to be pressed. 

The door swung open, revealing one immaculately dressed Malcolm Bright. “My dearest friends!” He grinned. “Right this way.”

“He’s being weird,” you whispered to Dani as the two of you followed him back to the elevator. 

She quirked an eyebrow. “When is he not?”

“But like...weirder.” 

He led you into his apartment with a flourish. “It has come to my attention that when all of us were hanging out, that was actually your date night.” 

Dani snorted. “No shit. How’d you figure that one out?”

“Gil took pity on me,” Malcolm replied sheepishly. “So! To make it up to you both, my wonderful friends and dearest companions, I have prepared you _this_ date, free of charge. Also free of me, unless you want to shout for me to do something.” He pointed to his kitchen counter, immaculately decorated with candles and everything, set up with a romantic dinner.

You pressed a hand to your chest. “Oh.” It was the sweetest thing anyone besides Dani had ever done for you.

Dani snorted. She surveyed the chicken, the candles, the whole spread. “Alright. Not bad, Bright. Not bad.”

The dinner was not the best you’d ever had, but it was free. And Malcolm didn’t actually leave you alone half the time, fluttering back over like an excited puppy to check on you two. He poured wine glass after wine glass and you were definitely a little drunk by the end of it so you laughed and you said, “We should do this again.”

Malcolm’s eyes got big and excited. “Really?” he demanded, hands fluttering. 

Dani must also have been a little drunk, because she shrugged and replied, “What the hell.”

Thus, a Friday night tradition was born. It allowed Malcolm to get his fix of you without crashing your dates anymore, and honestly, it was pretty fun for everyone.

Sometimes you got wasted. Sometimes you stayed the night. You and Dani had definitely had sex in Bright’s guest room on more than one occasion. Dani insisted it was payback for him being annoyingly over-involved in your relationship, but she always looked at him real soft and you knew she was pretending to care more than she did. 

Tonight, though, you had _planned_ on staying the night. It was not a date, but rather the three of you hanging out - which was kind of a date anyway - and Malcolm had insisted you be ready for a movie marathon and to stay the night. 

“No sleeping!” he insisted. Easier for him than for you. “Unless you pass out. Then you can sleep.”

You didn’t exactly know what kind of movies Malcolm was into - true crime stuff, maybe? You knew Dani liked shitty action movies from the 80s til today, and you were used to watching those with her, but Bright was more of a mystery. 

“Your overnight bag is too cute, babe,” Dani teased as you climbed into the passenger seat, putting your bag at your feet. “What’ve you got in there, anyway?”

“Overnight stuff!” you defended. “Pajamas, toothbrush, other toiletries, tomorrow’s clothes, medications…” 

It’s not that your overnight bag was giant, it’s that Dani slept in a tank top and underwear and already had a toothbrush at Malcolm’s place. She claimed there wasn’t anything else, and besides, “Bright knows what I need.” You thought she was kind of a heathen, but you loved her anyhow.

You engaged in a brief radio battle between 90s R&B and 2000s pop before you let her win and listened for the rest of the relatively short drive to Malcolm’s. Before Dani, you would’ve taken the subway, but there were sure as hell benefits to having a girlfriend with a car. You got there in about half the time it would’ve taken by transit.

This time, Malcolm was waiting for you, sitting on the stairs outside his apartment. He jumped up when he saw your car.

The guy was like a puppy. 

“I have snacks and I have movies and we are going to have a spectacular time,” he informed you both as you walked up to the door.

Dani snorted. “Bright, are you high again?”

“No, I’m just excited,” he shot back, but you noticed his hand tremble slightly. 

She squinted at him. “When was the last time you slept?”

Rather than answer, he turned around guiltily and hurried back towards his apartment, leaving the two of you to follow.

So that’s what this was about. You wondered if he was hallucinating again. Dani had told you about it, last time, how the drugs had made it worse and how he wouldn’t stop screaming. Your heart ached for your friend.

He took your bag like a gentleman and brought over bowls of candy and popcorn while you and Dani settled into the couch. You usually sat in between them, and tonight was no exception. What was different is that as you snuggled into Dani’s side, you also put your feet in Malcolm’s lap. He startled, just a little, but he smiled at you softly and your heart fluttered. 

The movies he’d chosen were the original Star Wars trilogy. Dani rolled her eyes - “Dumb sci-fi shit” - but you knew she liked them, and you did, too. Figured Malcolm was a sci-fi nerd.

He could quote along perfectly. It was the proper combo of uncanny and adorable, and you couldn’t help your giggles. Dani rolled her eyes and made fun of the CGI and the writing and just about everything, and you were pretty sure you’d never been happier in your life. Add onto that a whole bowl of super buttery popcorn and a second bowl that was a mix of sugar, and you were in heaven.

You made it through the first movie mostly focused, but things got shaky after that. “You and Dani should be Han and Leia for Halloween,” Malcolm suggested after the carbonite scene, even though it was pretty far away from Halloween. 

You laughed. “And you’ll be Luke?” It did kind of fit, what with the morbidly evil dad and all, but you didn’t say it out loud. You also kind of regretted suggesting Malcolm dress up as your brother, but you couldn’t quite figure out why. You ate some sugar to quell that thought.

He shook his head.

“What about R2D2?” Dani suggested before Malcolm could say anything else. She smiled wickedly.

Your eyes lit up. “Oh my god, you gotta! You could have like, a white vest with the buttons and stuff, and you could have a video of me asking Obi Wan for help!”

He shook his head, bemused, but he smiled. “Sure. Okay.”

“Edrisa should be Luke. Edrisa could be my brother,” you suggested. Y’all were missing the movie, but you didn’t mind. You’d all seen it before.

“No way. Edrisa is totally C3PO material,” Dani replied. “Besides, the droid team up of her and Bright? Perfect. Nah, JT is Luke.”

“Gil as Obi Wan?” you suggested, and they laughed.

“Good luck convincing him of that one,” Dani snorted.

“But it is _perfect_,” Malcolm agreed. He looked at you with the kind of approval that made you feel like you’d won a prize, shoving a too-large handful of popcorn in his mouth.

The three of you zoned back in for the last third of the movie, and then Malcolm immediately started Return of the Jedi.

You turned to Dani. “Hey babe?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I know.”

You swatted at her arm. “Dork!” 

She grinned and pulled you in for a lengthy kiss. “It seemed topical,” she murmured, pulling away for just a second before giving you another kiss.

You could feel Malcolm watching you, but when you pulled apart, it was just that dopey look he always gave the two of you, the softness that warmed you all the way from your toes up. You didn’t know quite how to explain it, other than the way you and Dani made him so happy. 

She’d told you about everything that happened when he got high, his utter excitement at having a friend. Now he had two, and they spent a ton of time with him, and gave him physical affection - even Dani would pat his head from time to time, and she never cuddled anyone but you. 

You wiggled your toes in his lap, basking in the quiet wonder he gave. You cherished how _wanted_ he made you feel.

“Now who’s the dork?” Dani teased you quietly, squeezing your shoulders. 

You took a handful of popcorn. “Shut up.”

It was Dani’s turn to pick the next movie, but she was already starting to doze against you. You knew she’d be out by the end credits, and you looked over at Malcolm to see if he wanted to pick something else, only to realize with a start that he was also asleep, hands on your ankles and head tilted back softly.

You knew he had all the baggage in the world. Hell, so did Dani. But with the two of them sleeping on you like this, they seemed...peaceful. Normal. You ached for this moment to last forever, to take care of the two of them and make things okay for them.

For about four hours, you laid somewhere between waking and sleep on the couch between the two of them. Somehow, Malcolm had drifted downwards so his head was on your stomach in what looked like a very awkward position, but he was still peaceful, so you considered it a win. You wondered when the last time he’d slept was. Something inside you ached to lean over and kiss his head, but your body wouldn’t quite react to that urge, which was probably good. 

And then Malcolm started to thrash, and you were up in a minute, somehow in his lap and holding him like a kid, murmuring shushing noises. He calmed down the fastest you’d ever seen, but he was still breathing hard, hands knit tightly into your shirt.

He’d had plenty of nightmares when you stayed over. You were used to it, at this point, though you knew no one at Dani’s work knew where she spent her Friday nights. So as Bright sat there, breathing in deeply, you couldn’t help but notice the difference.

“Did you bite your tongue?” you asked, concerned, and once Malcolm let go, you pulled away enough to see his face.

He shook his head, forcing a smile you knew better than onto his face. “I’m fine,” he lied, and again you wanted to kiss him, only now you were awake enough to be slightly freaked out by that thought.

“Alright, tough guy.” Dani patted his shoulder, smirking at you still in Bright’s lap. “Seems like you need to actually knock out. Let’s get the restraints on you.” She reached out to lift you up off Malcolm, spinning you around once for good measure, and then helped him off the couch and over to his bed. 

Dani did the left restraints and you did the right, carefully brushing your fingers along his forehead.

“Gotta say, you two tying me up? Better in real life,” Bright joked, then winced slightly. Your cheeks heated up.

“You’re sleep deprived, dumbass,” Dani replied. “Want me to knock you out again?”

He eyed her hopefully. “Would you?” You made a horrified sound.

“No, that’s for emergencies only.” Dani rolled her eyes. “C’mon, sweetheart, you need some sleep too.” She scooped you up bridal-style and gave Bright one last backwards wave before carrying you into the guest room. 

“You’re so caring,” she crooned, setting you down on the bed. “So nurturing. So gentle.” She peppered kisses all over your face and neck. “I love that about you.”

“I think I’m in love with Malcolm,” you blurted out, because it’d been eating at your brain ever since you’d been awake enough to process it. 

She snorted. “You are. It’s kind of obvious.” 

“Wait, shut up. How did you know? I just figured it out.” You frowned. 

“I’m a cop, babe.”

“Fuck cops.” You rolled your eyes. “Okay, well, then you’re in love with him too.”

“Nah.” She shook her head casually, smirking, but there was something in her eyes that made you know it was true. 

You groaned. “He’s a disaster.”

“An absolute disaster,” Dani laughed. “Look at you, you’ve got a type.”

“You’re not a disaster,” you protested, pulling her down onto the mattress. 

“Not anymore, I’m not.” She pressed another kiss against your neck. “You were good for me. Maybe you can be good for him, too.”

“Should I tell him?” you asked doubtfully.

She shrugged. “Your choice. Now c’mon, darling, get those pajamas on and go to sleep, it’s early as fuck.” 

You did as she suggested, because you really were tired, but she didn’t make it easy for you, kissing every scrap of exposed skin. These were the moments you lived for, really.

The two of you snuggled into bed, Dani curled around you protectively, and you sighed happily. You were close to falling asleep, safe as could be.

“Just try not to dream about the fact he likes you tying him up,” she whispered.

You groaned, and she laughed. But you loved her more than anything.

***

You woke up alone in bed, annoyingly cold. You heard the shower running next door and figured Dani must be taking advantage of Bright’s seven thousand hair supplies (some of which you knew for a fact he bought for Dani specifically, because there was no reason for him to have a whole assortment of curl care products). Your mouth felt disgusting - you realized in horror you hadn’t brushed your teeth after all the candy you consumed last night - and you shuffled to your bag to grab a toothbrush and fix that situation.

There was the sound of pots and pans from the kitchen and you wondered if Bright had slept at all after you’d left him. Probably not, if you knew the guy at all. Hopefully those three hours would be enough for him.

The bathroom was full of steam and smelled like fruits. It was cozy enough to make you drowsy all over again. That’d be pretty funny, if Dani stepped out of her shower to see you napping on the floor. You turned on the tap and stole some of Malcolm’s toothpaste to try to scrub the grossness out of your mouth. 

You thought back to last night - or this morning, you guessed - and how you wanted to kiss him, how Dani laughed at you cuz she knew before you did, how she tacitly admitted that even though he drove her crazy, there was some small part of her that wanted to kiss him, too.

The shower shut off and you spit in the sink, then turned to see one _very naked_ Malcolm Bright absolutely gaping at you. 

“Jesus!” You threw a hand over your eyes. “Sorry! I’m - I thought - Sorry!” 

You heard a rustling. “You can stop shielding your eyes now.” You opened them just a crack to see Malcolm wrapped up in a fluffy purple towel, looking adorable. “Sorry to scar you for life.”

“I thought it was Dani showering.”

“She’s making breakfast. Told me a hot shower would do me good.” He rolled his shoulders. “I’m a little tense still. But oh well.”

You almost offered to rub his back before you decided that doing so while he was still naked would cause your immediate death. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” you added one more time, then skittered out of the bathroom. You thought you heard Malcolm calling after you, but you wouldn’t bet on it.

Dani snorted as you wound up at the breakfast table. “Nice one, babe.”

“Shut up.”

She dropped a plate of toast and eggs in front of you, along with a glass of orange juice. “Don’t forget your meds.”

“I won’t.” You took a bite of toast. “Thanks, mom.”

“Gross. We’ve been over this, that’s not my kink.” 

You stuck out your tongue at her. 

“What’s not your kink?” Malcolm asked, sliding into a seat at the table. 

“I don’t have a Mommy Kink. Call me Master, sure, but not Mom.” Dani smirked at Bright’s swallow and the way his eyes widened just a bit. Hell, you didn’t have any psych experience, but even you knew what that one meant. 

“Ah.” He swallowed again.

“How did you sleep?” you asked, trying not to think about what had transpired minutes before. 

“Better with you than without,” he replied. “But I got a couple hours at least.”

“I'm glad we could help.” You smiled at him.

He ate like a man starved, wolfing down his toast before taking his whole serving of medications. You bit back a laugh. He was dopey. He was cute. 

Damn, you really were in love with him. 

Dani ate her breakfast standing in the kitchen, shifting from one foot to the other. “Hey Bright, want me to read your morning motivation?” she offered. He nodded, and she pulled a business card right from the middle of the stack. “Listen to this. ‘Today’s risks will be worth their rewards.’ That’s corny.”

“They all are,” Malcolm replied, his gaze lingering on your girlfriend. 

Maybe it was meant for him, but hell. It was relevant for you too.

“I’m in love with you.” The words slipped out before you had truly decided to say them, but Malcolm’s gaze snapped back to you. 

“What?” he demanded. 

You swallowed thickly. “I’m in love with you.” You glanced at Dani quickly. “She is too, but she’s too cool to admit it.”

“Hey!” Dani protested. “Fucking traitor.” 

“Oh,” he said quietly, and you feared you’d made a horrible mistake. 

“You don’t - it’s - you don’t have to do anything, or say anything,” you added quickly. “I just - I figured I’d say something - vIt’s fine if you’re not in love with us -”

He shut you up with a kiss, hungry and desperate and over the corner of the breakfast table. 

“Of course I’m in love with you,” he answered, breathless. “Jesus, how could I not be? I just never - I never thought -” He winced. “I’ve never...been in a relationship. I don’t know how.”

Dani snorted. “Everything we’ve already been doing, but sometimes there’s kisses and sex if you want.”

Malcolm swallowed. “Yes. I very much want.”

You put a hand on top of his. “I know you’ve got baggage. Issues. But we love you, and we’re here to support you and help you.”

“And put your ass in your place,” Dani added.

Malcolm smiled. “That’s your job.”

“So we just...we’ll take it slow. Try it out.” You bit your lip. “First date next Friday night?”

“Absolutely.”

**Author's Note:**

> I accidentally became obsessed with this show? Whoops. But here we are. Gotta supply some fandom fluff to offset the extreme angst of the canon.  
I am in love with both of them. So very much.   
I hope y'all enjoyed!


End file.
